Email processing for enhanced email privacy and security

Abstract

In accordance with an example implementation of this disclosure, an email processor comprises mailbox management circuitry and replacement email message generation circuitry. The mailbox management circuitry is operable to configure an email message filtering rule for an email mailbox such that email messages that meet criteria specified in the email message filtering rule: bypass an inbox of the email mailbox, and are assigned a first metadata value specified in the email message filtering rule. The mailbox management circuitry is operable to fetch, from the email mailbox, an original email message to which the first metadata value has been assigned. The replacement email message generation circuitry is operable to generate a replacement message for the original email message.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 configuring, by mailbox management circuitry of an email processor system, an email message filtering rule for an email mailbox, wherein email messages
 that meet criteria specified in the email message filtering rule: 
 bypass an inbox of the email mailbox; and 
 are assigned a first metadata value specified in the email message filtering rule; 
 
 fetching, by the mailbox management circuitry from the email mailbox, an original email message to which the first metadata value has been assigned; 
 generating, by replacement email message generation circuitry, a replacement email message for the original email message, wherein the replacement email message:
 comprises a thread identifier of the original email message; 
 comprises first body content present in the original email message; and 
 comprises second body content not present in the original email message; 
 
 inserting, by the mailbox management circuitry, the replacement email message into the email mailbox; 
 removing, by the mailbox management circuitry, the first metadata value from the replacement email message; and 
 assigning, by the mailbox management circuitry, a second metadata value to the replacement email message, wherein the second metadata value causes the replacement email message to appear in an inbox of the email mailbox. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the original email message comprises third body content; and 
 the replacement message does not include the third body content. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the third body content is a first HTML tag; 
 the second body content is a second HTML tag; and 
 a position of the first HTML tag within the original email message matches a position of the first HTML tag within the replacement email message. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the third body content is a first uniform resource locator (URL); and 
 the second body content comprises a second URL. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first URL targets first content hosted on a first server; and 
 the second URL targets second content hosted on second server. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first content and the second content are two copies of a same file. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the file is an image file. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second body content comprises risk assessment text or a risk assessment image. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the risk assessment text or the risk assessment image comprise one or more of:
 a notice about a domain of a sender of the original email message; 
 a notice about a name of a sender of the original email message; and 
 a notice about an IP address from which the original email message was sent. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the risk assessment text or the risk assessment image comprise a notice about a number of emails sent to or received from a sender of the original email message. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a memory, mailbox management circuitry, and replacement email message generation circuitry, wherein:
 the mailbox management circuitry is operable to configure an email message filtering rule for an email mailbox such that email messages that meet criteria specified in the email message filtering rule:
 bypass an inbox of the email mailbox; and 
 are assigned a first metadata value specified in the email message filtering rule; 
 
 the mailbox management circuitry is operable to fetch, from the email mailbox, an original email message to which the first metadata value has been assigned; 
 the replacement email message generation circuitry is operable to generate a replacement message for the original email message, wherein the replacement email message: 
 comprises a thread identifier of the original email message;
 comprises first body content present in the original email message; and 
 comprises second body content not present in the original email message; 
 
 
 the mailbox management circuitry is operable to insert the replacement email message into the email mailbox; 
 the mailbox management circuitry is operable to remove the first metadata value from the replacement email message; and 
 the mailbox management circuitry is operable to assign a second metadata value to the replacement email message, wherein the second metadata value indicates the replacement email message is to appear in an inbox of the email mailbox. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the original email message comprises third body content; and 
 the replacement message does not include the third body content. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the third body content is a first HTML tag; 
 the second body content is a second HTML tag; and 
 a position of the first HTML tag within the original email message matches a position of the first HTML tag within the replacement email message. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the third body content is a first uniform resource locator (URL); and 
 the second body content comprises a second URL. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the third body content is a first uniform resource locator (URL); and 
 the second body content comprises a second URL. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first content and the second content are two copies of a same file. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the file is an image file. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the second body content comprises risk assessment text or a risk assessment image. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the risk assessment text or the risk
 assessment image comprise one or more of:
 a notice about a domain of a sender of the original email message; 
 a notice about a name of a sender of the original email message; and 
 a notice about an IP address from which the original email message was sent. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the risk assessment text or the risk assessment image comprise a notice about a number of emails sent to or received from the sender of the original email message.